The Devastating News
by JE Boswell
Summary: The Doctor tells Brian the news of his son and Amy but also introduces him to River. (I do not own any of the characters. The lovely BBC does) (Spoilers ahead for anybody who hasn't seen the Angels Take Manhattan!)


Brian was cleaning the kitchen when he heard the wheezing sound erupting from the back garden. He stood up and turned his head to the window watching the blue box materialise by the patio chairs. He rushed out of the back door, dropping all of the cleaning utensils in the process, and stopped, glaring open mouthed at the machine. The door of the TARDIS squeaked open and the Doctor stepped out.

"Ah Doctor," Brian said with a smile on his face, embracing the magnificent man. After a moment he realised the Doctor wasn't hugging him in return and stepped back. The man's face wasn't as playful as it usually was which worried him a little. Instead of an excited smile his lips formed a line and his hands remained behind his back.

"Are Amy and Rory in there?" Brian asked nodding his head towards the blue box, the smile never fading from his face even though he could sense something wasn't right.

The Doctor stayed quiet and opened the door, gesturing for Brian to enter. After the man was inside the Doctor closed the door and circled the console in the centre of the room numerous times pushing different buttons on each circuit. The TARDIS shook into motion and within a matter of minutes re-materialised. All of the time, Brian called out for Amy and Rory but got no reply. The Doctor shuffled down the steps and opened the door for Brian, who thanked him and looked around at the graveyard they'd landed in.

"Why are we here?" Brian questioned looking for his son and daughter-in-law amongst the marble and stone. Again the Doctor was quiet and refused to answer. He led Brian to a particular gravestone, just a few metres away from the TARDIS. The Doctor watched as Brian's face turned cold. The smile the man had worn was gone now, only to be replaced by a look of horror.

"I don't understand," he said his voice almost a whimper. He turned to face the Doctor, tears lining his eyes. "Please tell me this is all a wind up. This has to be a different Amy and Rory. If this is a trick you've got me. Where are they?"

Brain glared around him trying to find the pair hiding behind a gravestone but he failed to find them. They were alone.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, the pain in his voice becoming apparent.

The realisation that his son was truly gone dawned on him and he collapsed to his knees by the grave side. He stared at the Doctor, his eyes begging him to reveal the trick but deep down he knew there wasn't one. Amy and Rory were gone. Tears spilled down his cheeks and the sobs broke from his mouth. "How? Why?"

The Doctor crouched down by him, making sure to give Brian the space he needed to mourn. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to the man. "It's complicated"

"Well try to explain," Brian pleaded, taking the handkerchief in one hand and blowing his nose. The fingers of his free hand run over the lettering on the grave stone, tracing the words on them that he wished weren't there.

The Doctor sighed. "There was a weeping angel. They send their victims back in time to basically live to death and feed on the time that person should have had here. We had a bit of trouble and thought we'd beaten them but there was a survivor that got Rory. Amy wasn't too far behind. I am so sorry, Brian"

"The angel," Brian said between sobs. "Is it still here?"

The Doctor shook his head and put his hand on Brian's back. "I got rid of it before I brought you here"

"That's a shame," Brain answered much to the Doctor's surprise. "I would have liked to have given it a piece of my mind"

The Doctor couldn't help but give a weak smile at the thought of Brain Williams yelling angrily at a weeping angel. He stayed with Brian as he cried and told stories of Rory when he was little. He told the Doctor of when Rory announced he was getting married and meeting Amy for the first time.

After a while it began to rain and the Doctor insisted that they get back into the TARDIS. Brian didn't argue. He gave a sniffle and one last cry and got up dusting himself down. He looked at the gravestone and then turned away after a few seconds knowing that any longer and he'd refuse to leave. He followed the Doctor back to the TARDIS and once inside asked for the address of the grave yard. The Doctor scribbled it down on a piece of paper and handed it to him with a sorrowed look on his face.

"New York?" Brain exclaimed scanning the address.

The Doctor nodded. "This is where they lived when they got sent back in time so this is where they were buried". The last word caught in his throat and he coughed trying to rid himself of it.

"Can we not go back in time and see them?"

"No," the Doctor said immediately.

Brian stood up tall and looked the Doctor straight in the eye before saying "Now listen here. I want to see my son and my daughter-in-law. You have a time machine so why can we not go and see them?"

The Doctor was taken aback by Brian's sudden outburst and sighed. "The problems we had in New York made it impossible for us to go back there in the TARDIS without ripping New York apart"

Brain gave a small "oh" and sat down in the seat by the console. After a few minutes silence he asked "What time were they sent back to?"

"Late 1930's I believe," the Doctor answered pulling a red lever and pushing the button by it.

Brian just nodded and played with the piece of paper in his hand.

"Brian," the Doctor said a few minutes later, now standing by the chair.

Brain looked up and jumped not expecting him to be so close.

"There's somebody that I'd like you to meet"

The Doctor coughed and a woman stood at the top of the staircase and made her way down. Brian stood up, looking at the Doctor, confusion written all over his face.

"I don't know if Amy and Rory ever told you," the Doctor said motioning to the woman.

"Told me what?" Brian asked watching her near them. The Doctor held his hand out to her and she took it with a small smile.

"Brian, I would like to introduce you to Melody," the Doctor said. "She's your granddaughter"

The instant he heard the word 'granddaughter' Brian sat back down, his eyes going wide. "But they never told me that I had a granddaughter"

"Most people call her, River," the Doctor added, his eyes watching her closely.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she said.

Brian stood once again and composed himself. He held out his hand to River and she shook it but after a moment Brian couldn't help but pull her in for a hug. "Why didn't they tell me?"

"That's a long story," River chuckled, resting her chin on his shoulder. She glanced over to the Doctor and spotted the tear in the corner of his eye. When she drew back she could see Brian was torn between crying and laughing. In the end he did both. His heart had been shattered and broken when he'd heard the news of Rory and Amy. His world disappeared before his very eyes and he was left feeling empty. He'd never known someone could feel so alone and devastated all at once. Though when things seemed too dark for comfort the Doctor had given him a gift. Brian held onto River's hand and held it up when he felt the metal band around her finger.

"You're married?" he said.

She glanced over to the Doctor who decided to busy himself around the console trying not to disturb River and her grandfather.

"Penny in the air," she said. She watched Brian look from her to the Doctor a few times, his mind figuring it out. His face relaxed and his eyes became wide again when the penny dropped.

"Oh, well then," Brain said with a few coughs and straightened his jacket. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"

River looked at the man for a moment and shook her head. She gave him a smile and joined the Doctor on the console. Brian watched the pair as they drove the machine though he watched River more than the Doctor. He noticed her eyes which she'd definitely gotten from Rory but the way she smiled reminded him of Amy. He knew in his heart that Amy and Rory were gone now and it pained him to admit it to himself but he also knew that they both lived in River and no matter how far she travelled, no matter what trouble she got herself in, he'd always be there for her, for their little girl, to welcome her home.


End file.
